TikTok star Rachel Queen Burton pleads guilty to child abuse offences

A TikTok star amassed thousands of followers claiming to be a ‘proud trans woman’ – but she was actually a pedophile who used her new identity as a ‘mask’, her victims have told a court.

Rachel Queen Burton, 44, repeatedly abused two children before stalking their family and leaving them homeless, an Adelaide court heard.

Burton then ‘put on a mask’ and transitioned to life as a woman.

She pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child exploitation material, gross indecency and indecent assault.

Harrowing victim impact statements from Burton’s two victims, a boy and a girl, their older sibling and the children’s mother, were heard in court on Tuesday.

Burton, who joined via video link from a men’s prison, cried as the children’s mother detailed the permanent effects of the abuse. The advertiser reported.

“You are a rude, fake, self-indulgent thing who deceived my children so much and took it from them without a care in the world,” the mother read.

‘In your online rants you showed no remorse for your bad behavior even though you knew what you had done… getting an audience for your false life was much more important.

“You can wear any mask you want, but the truth is out and everyone finally knows who you really are.”

The crime took place at various locations in regional South Australia in 2019, before Burton became an aspiring TikTok star.

Before Burton’s arrest in 2022, she had 34,000 fans on the social media platform.

Her TikTok bio described her as “a proud trans woman living my best life with no regrets.”

The victim’s mother told the court Burton continued to stalk them despite the family packing and moving after learning of the abuse.

She said they had been staying in a police safe house until Burton “appeared at the window and peered in,” forcing them to move again.

She described Burton as a “monster” who gave her “stomachache.”

“Being homeless was extremely draining, the worrying was relentless, but you were having the time of your life online,” she said.

Her children told the court they were ‘terrified’ that Burton would find them.

“I was happy before you broke the rules. I didn’t know what was going on at the time. “I’m angry at you because you did something wrong to me,” her daughter said.

“I felt like a bird trapped in a cage, all I wanted was to be free… I’m still afraid you’ll find me.”

The Adelaide District Court heard Burton (pictured) repeatedly abused two children before stalking their family and leaving them homeless

The girl’s brother said he had trouble sleeping at night because of chronic nightmares.

“I’m always afraid you’ll show up somewhere, and this scares the hell out of me,” he said in his statement.

Their older brother, who was not abused by Burton, said he was still suffering from the trauma his siblings suffered.

He described the offense as ‘abhorrent, vile and despicable’.

Judge Rauf Soulio thanked the family for their statements, noting that it would have been difficult to remember them.

He remanded Burton in custody for further sentencing in April.